home-made incubator ideas, will it work?

i dont have chickens, but i really really want to hatch some and raise them! i was thinking in the future (when i could raise them), i would get a cardboard box, cut a hole in the side (not the flaps side) and put a desk lamp through it (60 watts) and on the other side of the lamp, i would cut out a little window and cover it up with some see through plastic. Then i'll buy a thermometer and a hygrometer and put it in the box with the eggs. Would this design work? *Edit, i would turn the eggs myself, 3 times a day

I dont know if I would use a cardboard box...not sure it would hold heat well. I made my first one out of a styrofoam cooler I got from like a dollar store for $2 bucks. If you go to a pet store where they sell fish, you can ask them to keep a fish cooler for you. Most will do that and they work perfect. You can buy a light kit at walmart for like 5 bucks....or buy one of those clamp lights and take the clamp off of it . cut a hole in the side of the cooler and insert the lamp in a little ways. If you want a fan you can take one form an old PC and wire it to a cord from like a cordless phone or a charger or something. if not then you will just have to go 102 degrees instead of 99. I also cut a 7 1/2 x 91/2 inch hole in the lid for a window. I also bought wire racks from a dollar store and used them to place my eggs on. I turned them myself several times a day. I had a bowl of water.
( you can adjust size until you get the humidity correct.) Its really simple and not very expensive. I would also use either a 15 or 25 watt bulb...depending on the size of the cooler. 15 was hot enough with a fan.

Your problem is going to be Keeping a stable temp, you will need some sort of thermostat to keep it at 101 Degrees. Also a carboard box probably won't hold heat well. Also you will need a hygrometer to know your humidity, and the cardboard will absorb the humidity which will cause a large surface area of moisture and spike your humidity way high. You will also need ventilation to be able to circulate air, and raise and lower humidity. You will probably start growing mold also, my first home made bator was made of unsealed wood, and it startes to grow mold fairly quickly. My BYC page shows how I used found junk to make an incubator with minimul bought supplies. Check the garage for some useful incubator building goods, even an old cooler is a great start. Also an Old PC fan can do wonders for temp.

Look at freecycler and craigslist for things you need for it. We used a fishtank for ours, got the idea from the homemade incubator page listed in prior post but changed it up a bit. If you aren't starting it right now, keep an eye out for cheap or on sale items for it or ebay them.